Online marketing, monitoring and control for merchants

Abstract

Systems and methods of online marketing, monitoring and control for merchants are disclosed. Third party providers are crawled to obtain information about a plurality of merchants and correlate the merchant information to create a merchant database. Third party providers are monitored for merchant information, and information about the merchants is stored. Alerts are provided to subscribing merchants when an alert trigger is identified within the system or at a third party provider. The method allows the subscribing merchant to view and respond to reviews, view and maintain online listings, prepare and send consumer offers, and prepare and send communications to consumers, all directly from the system. The method allows the subscribing merchant to view information and analyses for competing merchants. An overall marketing score for merchants is prepared and displayed. The method may be performed on a server and accessed via an Internet browser and mobile device applications.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION[0001]This patent claims priority from provisional patent application No. 61 / 543,163 filed Oct. 4, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTS AND TRADE DRESS[0002]A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and / or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever.BACKGROUND[0003]1. Field[0004]This disclosure relates to marketing, online marketing, marketing success evaluation, online information management and monitoring, marketing research, competitive information, customer communications and merchant rating and review monitoring.[00...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a system that helps merchants manage and control their online presence and improve their marketing. The system allows merchants to view and monitor how information, rating and reviews about them appear on third party websites and their own website. It also allows merchants to compare their marketing information with competing merchants and make better informed marketing decisions. The system provides a series of customized recommendations based on the information about the merchant and optionally the merchant's competitors from multiple third party websites, social media providers and other online information the system collects and analyzes. The system also allows merchants to view, modify and manage key information across a plurality of third party websites, social media providers and other online locations.

Problems solved by technology

Based on the number of online references to a merchant, it is difficult for a merchant to manage and maintain accurate information about the business—such as, for example, hours of operation, payment types accepted—on the large number of directory and listing websites.

Moreover, it is difficult for merchants to monitor and respond to ratings and review provided on the large number of rating and review websites.

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